Spiritual Life

At Rio, we believe that learning and spiritual growth go hand in hand. Rio’s boarding school experience not only provides the foundation for each and every student to grow personally, but Rio’s dedicated staff work tirelessly to mentor, study with, and guide students in their walks with God. Living, learning, and working with other students develops deep relational skills and opens the door for even greater service to the rest of humanity. We believe that because we are created in God’s image, we are called to the highest purpose of all: serving others “in the least of these.”

Rio’s goal is to invite all students into a lasting encounter with God by inspiring leadership, cultivating an atmosphere of respect, creating a lifestyle of service to others, and providing space for personal reflection.

Inspiring Leaders

Developing servant-leaders is essential to boarding school life. Leadership opportunities abound at Rio; from classroom learning groups to student life, from organizing programs to presenting public presentations, from leading on the soccer field, to checking in on their peers, Rio students transform from being participants to being leaders. Staff work closely with students to advance their leadership skills and often can be found mentoring and challenging them to reach their full leadership potential.

Some leadership opportunities that students have at Rio are leading and planning activities for the student body. Two of those Student Association positions are Religious Vice Presidents, who meet on a weekly basis with other students as part of the Spiritual Life Committee. This team plans, prays, and seeks God’s guidance as it becomes the pulse of Rio students’ spiritual engagement. Students also lead out in the dorms as Residents’ Assistants (RA’s), and Boy’s or Girl’s Club Officers. Throughout the year, students lead out in church, Bible studies, and retreats with other Adventist schools across Northern California. Many graduates continue leading out in their communities and worlds after Rio and are purposeful about creating positive change in the world.

Cultivating Respect

The heart of Rio’s identity as believers is learning how to respect all life and to serve “all people, languages and nations.” We are called to defend the weak and struggling and fight against injustice. Our culture of safety and respect for all cultures and backgrounds is embodied in our chapels, religion classes, dorm worships, and in spiritual programming. This culture of respect is deeply enhanced by our diverse student body, who come to Rio from over a dozen different countries and a variety of cultural backgrounds.

Lifestyle of Service

We believe that God has given us the gift of serving others to defeat our selfish nature. In Rio’s boarding environment, student connections provide daily opportunities for service as modeled by the staff and students regularly assist and learn from others in the classroom. Many of Rio’s students choose to take on mentor roles with younger students or get involved in the many service offerings such as visiting local senior centers, helping out in the animal shelter, or handing out toiletry packages to the homeless. Rio’s students learn to serve in both our local communities and abroad through ongoing community service projects and the annual spring break mission trip.

Space for Reflection

Personal growth requires thoughtful reflection about the purpose and meaning of life on earth. Time for this reflective work is a central value at Rio Lindo Adventist Academy. Rio’s beautiful natural setting, with its winding trails along the river, is a rich environment for reflective thinking and introspection. The weekly Sabbath experience anchors this learning quality and features a relaxed schedule, worship and Bible study, and time for personal reflection. This time of concentrated, focused rest has value regardless of one’s personal belief in a Divine Being.

Reflection is not limited to one day each week. Students have space to reflect during thought-provoking chapels, engaging classroom discussions, and meaningful conversations with friends and staff members. This reflective value builds personal self-esteem, invites a growth mindset, and creates an environment that encourages curiosity and exploration.